biometric clocking in/out systems?

Thekwango

Thekwango

Thekwango

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hoping some of you clever chaps can help me out here, (also hoping this is the best place to post!!)

I've been tasked with sourcing a biometric (preferably thumb print only - not so convinced on the facial recognition ones) clocking in/out machine. needs to be able to cope with upwards of 50 staff

anyone any experience of such systems that can make any suggestions, and comment on reliability and ease of use of software?

ideally I'd also like the software to come with a mobile app that allows remotely checking any staff members 'status' in real time

I've so far come across this,
https://www.safescan.com/en-gb/store/clocking-in-machines/safescan-ta-8030-clocking-in-machine

having no experience of these types of systems I thought I'd chuck it out to the superstars of OcUK
 
You can pick up fingerprint readers from the bay for about £50 plug it into a SQL database. The app would be easy enough to write.

Assuming you want to save costs.

What sort of work environment is it? I remember they experimented with a fingerprint clock in/out system in the nightclub I worked at but it failed to read people's prints correctly if they were swollen from working in wet. If it's a dirty environment it may not be suitable. Could go for rfid instead.
 
I remember the gym I used had a biometric scanner but it used to fail so frequently that they just opened the doors and bypassed it after a while.
 
Mynight said:
You can pick up fingerprint readers from the bay for about £50 plug it into a SQL database. The app would be easy enough to write.

Assuming you want to save costs.

What sort of work environment is it? I remember they experimented with a fingerprint clock in/out system in the nightclub I worked at but it failed to read people's prints correctly if they were swollen from working in wet. If it's a dirty environment it may not be suitable. Could go for rfid instead.
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cheers for there reply. much rather have the complete package rather than having to flaff about setting up databases and getting apps written.

re the cost - as we have no experience of this sort of system we don't really know where to base our budget, I'd suggested 4 - 500 quid simply going off what I was seeing on google!

the environment itself is clean so there'd be no issues with dirty or wet hands - it's a production environment with an admin staff too
 
Thats fair enough. Unfortunately a quick google suggests there's no companies offering apps that tie in so youd have to consider getting one written.

dowie said:
can always stick a camera at the entrance if that was an issue - the 24 hour gym chains have to guard against that sort of thing and seem to be OK using RFID
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Very good point.
 
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dowie said:
Why biometric rather than RFID?
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Mynight said:
Presumably worried about people logging in for each other?
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yup, buddy logging or whatever they call it, and a camera means someone has to monitor it.

you also have the hassle of folks losing their cards/fobs. previous employer we had to have one of these installed after the 9/11 attacks (was a ferry port) and we were never done replacing staff cards - even when they were being charged for replacements

dowie said:
can always stick a camera at the entrance if that was an issue - the 24 hour gym chains have to guard against that sort of thing and seem to be OK using RFID
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that's cause they have someone sat at a reception desk with not much else to do but watch a security camera. ideally we'd rather not tie up some ones time having to monitor a camera, if we had a free body for that they could physically just sign people in and out, but I appreciate the idea
 
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I fit access control stuff (among other things such as CCTV) for a living, and any fingerprint readers I have fitted are pretty unreliable compared to a proximity card reader.

If you want biometric, then the system I've seen in prisons and other places that checks hand geomety looks quite good. This is the one I've seen, but I've never fitted or even had a good look at one. https://www.tensor.co.uk/news/hand-...ant-potential-for-growth-research-can-reveal/
 
Thekwango said:
I've so far come across this,
https://www.safescan.com/en-gb/store/clocking-in-machines/safescan-ta-8030-clocking-in-machine

having no experience of these types of systems I thought I'd chuck it out to the superstars of OcUK
Click to expand...

That's the one I recently purchased (well I got just the rfid version)

It works, the software is a little clunky - maybe because I networked installed it rather than on a standalone PC, which required a firebird sql install to make it work iirc (which I managed to do - with not knowing anything about firebird or sql, so it couldn't have been difficult :p)

At the end of the day, you are looking at budget systems, as I was, so it's not going to be all singing and dancing but it is functional.

Can't say it's saved me any time processing the payroll though....probably with all the missed & incorrect clocking it probably takes me longer than when we just used time sheets :p (we do have a very variable workforce though, with only half on standard hours)
 
anything I don't mind said:
Rfid is more common and can do all the logging and reporting. I've used net2 (paxton) in the past.
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surely the biometric systems do the logging and reporting too?

what I've noticed is that most of the biometric scanners also come with rfid too so I'm guessing it's just both technologies at the UI side but the software logs and reports using either?
 
Freakbro said:
That's the one I recently purchased (well I got just the rfid version)

It works, the software is a little clunky - maybe because I networked installed it rather than on a standalone PC, which required a firebird sql install to make it work iirc (which I managed to do - with not knowing anything about firebird or sql, so it couldn't have been difficult :p)

At the end of the day, you are looking at budget systems, as I was, so it's not going to be all singing and dancing but it is functional.

Can't say it's saved me any time processing the payroll though....probably with all the missed & incorrect clocking it probably takes me longer than when we just used time sheets :p (we do have a very variable workforce though, with only half on standard hours)
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we're not so much trying to streamline the payroll. unfortunately it's more a case of trying to keep a better track of staff and what hours they are logging - initially a small family company has now grown substantially and no longer family owned. a lot of trust is placed on staff in regards working hours etc and sadly it seems that some are not 'playing fair'
 
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